Florida Teen Treated Like Dangerous Criminal After Science Project Explodes at School

With members of law enforcement on high alert for potential terrorists, the public has been reminded who the real dangerous individuals are … high school girls who are into science.

Miami News Times is reporting that Kiera Wilmot, a student at Miami’s Bartow High School, was expelled from school and is facing criminal charges, after a science experiment she was conducting exploded.

The incident has generated widespread attention and is shaking up the blogosphere.

The so-called “crime” occurred on Monday (Apr 29) when the 16-year-old mixed common household chemicals into a water bottle to see what would happen. The mixture of random chemicals apparently caused the cap on the bottle to fly off and some smoke appeared, but no one was hurt.

In a statement, the principal of the school said that Wilmot simply made a bad decision.

“She made a bad choice. Honestly, I don’t think she meant to ever hurt anyone,” principal Ron Pritchard told the station. “She wanted to see what would happen [when the chemicals mixed] and was shocked by what it did. Her mother is shocked, too.”

Unfortunately, police saw the situational differently. The teen has been charged with “possession/discharge of a weapon on school grounds and discharging a destructive device.”

Those words carry a whole lot of weight these days, when on-campus violence is not only prevalent but has manifested in horrific ways. It’s likely that Wilmot’s future is in jeopardy, since she has been expelled from school and will now have to complete her diploma through an expulsion program.

We’re guessing that’s not going to look too great on a college application. Not to mention getting a job is also going to be a challenge, considering one has to inform potential employers if they have ever been convicted of a crime.

Thankfully, the school district is fighting for her and won’t let her suffer for the rest of her life for what was a harmless act.

Oh wait, no … they actually support the girl being punished as if she were a dangerous, life-threatening criminal. Go figure.

The district said in a statement:

“Anytime a student makes a bad choice it is disappointing to us. Unfortunately, the incident that occurred at Bartow High School yesterday was a serious breach of conduct. In order to maintain a safe and orderly learning environment, we simply must uphold our code of conduct rules. We urge our parents to join us in conveying the message that there are consequences to actions. We will not compromise the safety and security of our students and staff.”

You would think that all of the attention that the case has gotten would force authorities and the school to take their hardcore punishment down a notch, but nope. The Polk County School District tell Miami News Times that kids should learn “there are consequences to their actions.”

What do you expect? She is black so if she farts too loud she will be charged with disturbing the peace. This is pure racism at work. Sounds like a non-incident. If it was a white kid, nothing would happen.

fadumpt

if it was a white kid and generated national attention, some science organization would scoop the kid up. probably have to be a male first too. things like this show the reasons why this country is so far behind in science.

http://www.facebook.com/adam.bird.980 Adam Bird

Are you both F***ing serious? You immediately jump to this having to be a racist action? While I whole-heartedly agree that law enforcement shouldn’t even be involved in this, to right off the bat claim racism is to perpetuate racism. Just last week there was a white kid who absent mindedly brought a shotgun to school, then immediately called his mother when he found it. He was expelled and is facing criminal charges.
Drop the victim mentality, fight for justice for this student. Everything in life isn’t racially motivated, and believing it is only promotes future racism.

edw

Kiera – I’d be ashamed to call these officials adults and parents. As for yourself, it’s a lesson to make sure you understand the science before you play around, and take a few more precautions: understand as best as you can before you do an experiment. As for your future, forget the hype. eep up with science if that’s your interest – the US needs more curious kids than officials with apparently little sense of proportion. I’d hire you in a heartbeat if you demonstrate initiative and are the best person for the job: this would have no bearing for me. Good luck, and keep going!

fadumpt

hmmm, when I was in school, the point was to make the top pop off. that’s what the teacher said would happen.